The Busiest Time of the Year...

Let me give you a little sampler of my December....

Th Dec 1
Fr Dec 2 - Girls Night at my house
Sa Dec 3 - Christmas parade; Feed Little Lambs (prison ministry); Neighborhood blitz to invite people in
                   town to our Christmas program
Su Dec 4 - church; Associational Christmas music program
Mo Dec 5
Tu Dec 6 - Christmas party
We Dec 7 - church
Th Dec 8 - Garden Club Christmas lunch; Date Night to celebrate anniversary
Fr Dec 9 - Christmas brunch/ornament exchange; Christmas party
Sa Dec 10 - Choir practice for Christmas musical; Christmas party
Su Dec 11 - {Eddie & my 12th anniversary}; church; Christmas party; baby shower (hostess);  Christmas
                        musical
Mo Dec 12 - Christmas party (Karaoke with the senior adults...HA!); Young Ladies Share Group
Tu Dec 13 - Christmas party
We Dec 14 - church
Th Dec 15 - Christmas Dinner Theater (I am hosting a table AND singing in the choir)
Fr Dec 16 - Christmas Dinner Theater Night #2; Rehearsal/rehearsal dinner for a wedding Eddie is           
                     officiating
Sa Dec 17 - wedding; Christmas party
Su Dec 18 - church; PM service - speak about my mission trip
Mo Dec 19
Tu Dec 20 - {Sam's 7th birthday}; Open House we are hosting for church members
We Dec 21 - Youth Christmas progressive dinner
Th Dec 22 - Sam's birthday party
Fr Dec 23
Sa Dec 24 - candelight Christmas Eve service
Su Dec 25 - Christmas!; church
Mo Dec 26
Tu Dec 27
We Dec 28
Th Dec 29
Fr Dec 30
Sa Dec 31


Soooo, as you see, I have 4 days available between December 1 and Christmas! Crazy much?! It's SO much fun to get to go to all the church Christmas parties, and we wouldn't miss them for anything. But boy, am I ready for December 26th!! And this isn't even all the Christmas parties. Eddie's secretary usually emails us the dates as they come. So I'm sure I'll be adding more to the list!

Being a ministry wife can be like this sometimes. I feel sorry for the ones that are naturally introverted. I bet December is a struggle for them.

Not to mention what this schedule does for my kids. We are so blessed that the church nursery is open for the majority of these events, but that usually means my kids aren't getting in bed until after 9 most nights. And 2 of them are still having to get up for school every morning. And one of them is having to rush to finish his homework between after school and when we have to load up to go. But thankfully, they roll with it for the most part.

Oh, and guess how many Christmas presents I have bought so far?? NONE!! EEEEKKKKK!!!! Looks like I have the 19th or the 23rd available for that!! But the 19th will be spent cleaning and cooking to get ready for the Open House! HA! Online shopping may be the ticket this year.

I am trying not to get caught up in the busy-ness of it all that I neglect to reflect and focus on the true meaning of the season.

Luke 2:8-17

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 ⁸ In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
 ¹⁵ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child